You Can Take A Vulcan To Water
by Thursdaymorningchild
Summary: A trip to the beach reveals distressing memories for McCoy and he just wants Spock to take some damn precautions for once.


**AN: This was requested as a prompt by a lovely anon on my Tumblr. This was the prompt- Spones on the beach, though, with Leonard trying to get Spock to wear sunscreen and Spock caving in despite it being illogical because he's from Vulcan.**

**My first prompt ever eep nervous! Here goes...**

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><p>"Spock, would you just - Just hold still for one damn minute!"<p>

The crew of the Enterprise had just finished a six month Star Fleet assigned tour of Marcus II and its nearby planets as part of their five year mission and had decided to take some well deserved shore leave. Literally, in the case of Jim, McCoy, Sulu and Chekov who had unanimously sketched a visit to the nearest beach into their list of things to do. Spock had, predictably, been resistant at first to the idea of spending the day at what he regarded to be an overcrowded stretch of rock and mineral particles surrounded by salt water. However after too many hours of cajoling and threatening the first officer, than McCoy would like to admit to, the half Vulcan finally relented and agreed to join them.

Now that they were there though, McCoy was beginning to understand why it wasn't such a good idea after all.

"Leonard, would you please cease?"

McCoy leaned back on his haunches and fixed Spock with the most irritated glare that he could muster in the 33 degree heat. He had already managed to instil the importance of applying sunscreen into his colleagues but he was having a harder time with the stubborn-eared git.

"No, you're being stupid, you have the palest skin out of all of us and you're gonna burn if I don't put this lotion on you."

Spock's eyebrow raised a fraction and he looked up from the PAD that he had managed to sneak off of the ship when nobody was looking. His lover's face was already starting to redden, whether from the apparent heat or simply growing anger, Spock couldn't be too sure.

"Leonard I do not understand your concern. You seem to be forgetting that I originate from Vulcan where in the peak of the summer months the temperature may and will regularly rise to fifty degrees Fahrenheit. I am surely accustomed to the strength of this sun's ultraviolet ray beams. Therefore, I find no logic in covering-"

"No, shut up!"

McCoy cut Spock off mid-sentence, earning a slightly startled look as his voice raised several octaves above normal. Spock placed his PAD carefully to the side of his seat and folded his hands in his lap, as if he were a young child being chastised.

"Give it up Bones; you know you're fighting a losing battle when it comes to Spock."

Jim piped up from his position of lounging right in the sun's path. McCoy ignored his best friend and threw the sunscreen bottle down onto the sand in obvious frustration.

"Fine, I'm going for a swim. Don't follow me!"

He pointed an accusing finger at Spock before stomping off towards the ocean.

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><p>By the time McCoy had returned from his dip, Spock was alone and their crew mates were nowhere in his line of vision.<p>

"Where are the others?"

"I believe Jim mentioned something about purchasing refreshments."

"You didn't want to join them?"

"I do not require food at this present moment; I assured them that I would look after their possessions."

McCoy sighed and bent down to pick up the towel that he had left covered over Spock's lower legs. His fingertips brushed against the skin there, not surprising him to find it warmer than it normally was.

"I also did not want to leave you unattended."

"Okay, well I'm not a kid Spock I can look after myself y'know."

He grabbed the neglected bottle of sunscreen and squeezed the cool lotion into his hands, rubbing it methodically over his legs and bare chest. He glanced up to see Spock's dark eyes trained on the movement of his hands. Despite himself, McCoy smirked slightly,

"Will you let me put some on you now?"

"Leonard I-"

"No, wait okay I didn't explain to you before, why I'm so dependent on this stuff."

Spock tilted his head, a silent invitation for McCoy to continue speaking.

"I guess we've never really approached the 'parents' subject, other than... Well I know about yours but you don't have any information about mine. Um, my mother- She passed away when I was twelve."

He looked away from Spock's intense gaze, fiddling with the hem of his towel as hot tears pricked at the corner of his eyelids. He almost jumped out of his skin when a hand covered his but he gave it a grateful squeeze after recovering his composure.

"She had cancer, skin cancer to be exact. She was out in the sun a lot, loved working in the garden, back in Georgia but she never really thought about the damage that it could do until it was too late. She died three months after diagnosis, the infected mole turned out to be malignant melanoma and there was nothing that could be done. That's why I'm extra careful about sunscreen, I mean sure it doesn't work all the time and-"

"Leonard."

This time it was Spock's turn to interrupt, and McCoy stifled a grunt as he was pulled down closer to the half Vulcan. Spock leaned in so that he could press his lips to the side of the doctor's head in a gentle kiss.

"I am sorry _ashayam_."

McCoy sniffed and rested his head on Spock's chest, glad that Jim wasn't around to witness this.

"You didn't know, it's okay. Just please will you wear the damn sunscreen now? I just- I want you around for a long time even if you do drive me insane."

"I can assure you that that notion is wholly reciprocated on my part, Leonard. But I will wear it if it will help ease your mind, I may need a little assistance with the application side of it."

McCoy grinned and slid his free hand up his lover's pale thigh.

"Oh I think I can help with that."

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><p><strong>I'm so bad at ending stories, like really. Hope it wasn't too shit. Come say hello to me on Tumblr if you'd like :D<strong>


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